Can you eat crab legs when pregnant?

Eating crab is both delicious and nutritious seafood. We should eat seafood twice a week, but can pregnant women eat crab while pregnant? Many good things are not going to be so good during this time. But this is not the case with crabs. The good news is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified crab as healthy for the expectation of mothers. But how and how much crab can we eat when pregnant? Let’s go to deep into our article for answers..

Is it safe to eat crabs during pregnancy?

Yes, you can eat crabs as long as they are hygienically made and properly cooked. Eating crab products such as crab meat, crab sushi or sashimi are an absolute no-no. These products are not cooked properly and can harm you and the baby.

You should not eat the organs and intestines of mussels and fish, as they can have a high mercury content. The biggest risk of eating seafood during pregnancy is that it contains natural pollutants like PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls), mercury and dioxins. The FDA also states that frozen crab products risk contaminating listeria. Check with your doctor before consuming crabs, especially if your cholesterol levels are not under control.

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Health benefits of eating crabs during pregnancy:

Even if you give in to your hunger, you weigh the goodness of the food you eat during your pregnancy. Here are the benefits of eating crab, but check with your doctor before eating it.

  • Supports the general development of the fetus:

Crabs are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamins A and D. Thus, eating crabs during pregnancy will promote your baby’s overall development.

  • Increases your immunity:

Amino acids and antioxidants in crab meat help improve your energy and immune system during pregnancy.

  • fights anemia:

Crabs contain healthy iron values. Iron protects you from pregnancy anemia. It also helps maintain healthy hemoglobin levels in the baby after delivery.

  • Rich in calcium:

The rich calcium levels promote the development of bones and teeth in the unborn child.

  • Low calorie:

Crab meat is deficient in calories, which is good because you can eat it without gaining weight.

  • Low cholesterol:

Expectant mothers with normal or low cholesterol can eat crabs, while those with high levels need to check with your doctor if a crab is safe.

  • Contains folic acid:

Crabs also contain folic acid, an essential vitamin that you should include in your healthy diet. Folate helps prevent neural tube defects.

How many crabs can women eat during pregnancy?

Pregnant women can take up to six ounces of fresh crab twice a week. King crab contains lowest mercury levels and is the best option. Other crabs such as blue crab, snow crab and Dungeness crab dish contain higher levels of mercury. So you should consume less than six ounces of these crabs a month. To be on the safe side, avoid these strains during pregnancy.

After checking with your doctor that you are safe from eating crabs, try some delicious crab recipes such as crab cakes that we list below. If you feel that there are ingredients that you don’t eat while you are pregnant, or if you feel unwell, you should replace the ingredients with something else.

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Can Women Eat Crab Legs During Pregnancy?

Crab legs meet the omega 3, sodium and fat needs in your body. But; As crabs live in salt water, it is harmful for blood pressure, cholesterol patients and women. Crab is a healthy seafood with low mercury content. It is found in the crab meat body and grippers. If you are pregnant, you should not think eating crab legs.

Tips to consider when eating crabs during pregnancy:

You must be careful when choosing crabs!

  1. Choose king crab: The safest choice for seafood during pregnancy is king crab. Other popular varieties are the blue crab, snow crab legs and dungeness crab. Yet, these are not considered as safe as king crabs because they are rich in mercury. Mercury can affect the development of the brain and nervous system of the fetus and cause some health complications in the mother. While crabs are low-mercury seafood (2), they should be taken moderately.
  2. Get advice from fish recommendations: The degree of pollution varies from one body of water to another. You should be careful when catching fish or crabs in local waters. Therefore, you need to check whether the crabs are safe with instructions and local fish recommendations.
  3. Can you eat raw crab? Do not buy raw crabs or pre-cooked crab dishes. Raw crabs or pre-cooked crabs and raw seafood in general can become infected with microorganisms and parasites that can cause food poisoning. They affect not only the health of the mother, but also the development of the child.
  4. Do not eat undercooked crab meat: undercooked meat is as dangerous as raw meat. Never eat raw crabs unless they are sufficiently cooked. When crabs are cooked properly, heat destroys harmful microorganisms and parasites. And please keep in mind you have to avoid raw or undercooked seafood and eat just cooked crab meat and cooked seafood.
  5. Do not eat frozen crab meat: Frozen meat should not be consumed as it is sensitive to bacteria. According to Colorado State University, you can choose crabs that are stored in a sealed box or bag.

We wrote and learned about Can pregnant women eat crab? If you like seafood or if you are turning to seafood for your baby’s healthy development, there is another great article we prepared for you. We answered the question of whether the shrimp, which is very preferred is shrimp safe for the pregnant woman. Click on the link. https://kidschildrenshealth.com/can-pregnant-women-eat-shrimp/

Ingredients for Blue Crab Salad Recipe

  • 8 blue crabs
  • 1 spoon of olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tea glass of water 
For the salad;
  • Half a bunch of parsley
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2-3 pickled gherkins
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon, salt, sweet paprika

How To Make Blue Crab Salad Recipe

  1. Before the cleaned blue crabs are taken into the boiling wire, 2 bay leaves are placed on the wire, a tea glass of water is added, a spoon of oil is poured. Boil for 5 minutes (blue leg color will turn pink and water will not touch the legs while boiling).
  2. The boiled legs are cooled and the legs and body meat are cleaned by breaking with a pestle or walnut crushing tool. You should use a knife for this job.
  3. The meat is take into a large bowl, well chopped parsley, olive oil, salt, crushed garlic, pulp pepper and lemon sauce are prepared and added to the crab meat.
Note: Crab meat is a natural protein store, has an antibiotic effect, and is also good for rheumatic diseases. Blue crab, grown in deltas
The good news is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified crab as healthy for the expectation of mothers . If pregnant women want to eat a crab without problems, Crab should cook well.
no, you can't eat raw but you can eat crabs as long as they are hygienically made and properly cooked. Crab products such as crab meat, sushi or sashimi are an absolute no-no. These products are not cooked properly and can harm you and the baby.
Pregnant women can take up to six ounces of crab twice a week (3). King crab contains lowest mercury levels and is the best option. Other crabs such as blue crab, snow crab and Dungeness crab contain higher levels of mercury.
Pregnant women should not eat high-mercury seafood. Raw fish are inconvenient for pregnant women. If you want, you can learn more in detail by reading our "foods to avoid when pregnant" article on our website.

Our previous article 15 Signs Of Pregnancy To Know If You Are Pregnant in the title Am I pregnant ve pregnancy exercises information is provided..

18 Responses

  1. Alina says:

    Useful content as always, thank you!

  2. Stephanie says:

    Great article

  3. Cathie says:

    Great article thanks for infor

  4. Melissa Mary Barbour says:

    Awesome information, and useful!
    great questions. Thanks

  5. Marinella says:

    Very good article 😘

  6. Bella says:

    Awesome!

  7. Tabitha says:

    Awesome

  8. Michael Bannerman says:

    Great article. Helpful information.

  9. Anlee says:

    Great article-definitely good to know and living on the east coast I will pass in the info

  10. Sharon says:

    Great

  11. Stephaniewelch says:

    Great article

  12. Mandi Remick says:

    thank you for info

  13. Pauline says:

    Fantastic information thanks

  14. Celina says:

    What an informative article!

  15. Jaquelin T says:

    Amazing!

  16. Felicity says:

    Amazing!

  1. February 21, 2023

    […] If you like to consume scallops, we recommend reading the article about can pregnant women eat crab?. […]

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